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DESIGNING a WIRE DISPENSER

Introduction: DESIGNING a WIRE DISPENSER

We have an old role of MIG wire at Techshop Menlo Park (California) and for some technical reason this wire is not suitable to be used in our MIG Welding Machine.

To not waste (because we do not like to waste stuff at Techshop), Brian the more experienced and busy DC, asked me to make a wire dispenser for general use.

Here is what I did:

Step 1: A Good Place to Search for Previous Projects Is GOOGLE IMAGES

They have images of practically everything!

Type in "wire dispenser", sit back, and be amazed at how many other people have not only made wire dispensers...they put pictures of them on the World Wide Web!

Step 2: From the Complicated

I thought about making a complex wire dispenser but ...it takes a lot of time away from other projects!

Step 3: To the Simple

While very effective, this example was a little too "home grown" for the boss's taste!... keep thinking...keep looking for examples on google!

Step 4: I Decided to Make My Design Based on This

This one seems to have the right amount of form and function...and I only need to add a cover over the wire role role to avoid NESTING (suggestion of Brian, the old and most experienced DC)! So I made a stand from scrap metal that looks like this, and then to finish it...

Step 5: That Is My Design Waiting for Aproval

I made an acrylic anti-nesting shroud and attached it to the spool. It is a curved piece of plastic that fits next to the spooled wire, to keep it straight. I did not get a good picture of it, but I drew the end result here:

The shroud is attached to the base with a piece of scrap acrylic rod and a pivot pin with a spring, to keep it snug against the spool (but not too snug!

I hope you can use this as a basis to make your own! Wire is very expensive now, and it is not good to waste it! :-)